He took a deep breath and held it.

Meaning: The boy took a large amount of air into his lungs and kept it there.

Choice of Words: The boy is the subject of the sentence. Took is a verb that describes the action of taking something. A is an article that refers to a single deep breath. Deep is an adjective that describes the extent of the breath. Breath is the object of the verb "took". And is a conjunction that joins two clauses. Held is a verb that describes the action of keeping something in place. It refers to the deep breath.

Alternative Expressions

He breathed in and held his breath.

Meaning: This means he breathed in a lot of air and kept it in his lungs.

Choice of Words: Breathed is the past tense of the verb breathe, which means to take air into and out of your lungs. In indicates that he was taking air into his lungs. Held means to keep something in place without letting it go. When you put these words together, "He breathed in and held his breath" means he inhaled air and kept it in his lungs.

He inhaled deeply and retained the air.

Meaning: This means he breathed in a lot of air and kept it in his lungs.

Choice of Words: Inhaled means to take air into your lungs. Deeply describes the type of inhalation, indicating it was a full and complete breath. Retained means to keep something in place without letting it go. When you put these words together, "He inhaled deeply and retained the air" means he breathed in a large amount of air and kept it in his lungs.

Related Expressions